“1.2GPa Ultra High Tensile Strength Steel with High Formability”

FUTURE TECHNOLOGY

Category

Dynamic Performance

Reviewing the material itself for weight reduction— this is Nissan’s perspective.

Vehicles’ weight and size have increased in recent years with the pursuit of safety and comfort. Weight reduction is an unavoidable path for automotive manufacturers, in order to improve on fuel consumption and reduce CO2. Nissan is consistently carrying out tasks right from material development in order to reduce body weight. In order to clear the challenges of “Weight reduction for reducing environmental impact” and “Impact safety improvement” at the same time, we have focused on high tensile strength steel, which is not only strong but also formable. We have progressed with its application on the vehicle body, and have innovated our design and manufacturing technology. This time, we have successfully developed a 1.2 GPa Ultra High Tensile Strength Steel with High Formability with high elongation as compared to the previous 980MPa class high-tensile strength steel. Application has been increased to allow the material to be used for body structural parts with a complex-shape in order to further reduce vehicle weight.

Combining strength and elongation and changing the way steel plates are thought of— “1.2GPa Ultra High Tensile Strength Steel with High Formability”

Generally, the elongation of the high tensile material is reduced if the strength is increased. The reduction in elongation causes “cracks” to occur cold-pressing of the material. Applications of previous high tensile strength steel had been limited as “cracks” occur during cold-pressing complex shapes. One of the characteristics of the newly developed 1.2 GPa Ultra High Tensile Strength Steel with High Formability is in the compatibility of both strength and elongation through micronizing of the material structure as much as possible. As a result, the material is able to be applied to much more body structural parts than was previously possible. Furthermore, the 1.2 GPa Ultra High Tensile Strength Steel with High Formability can be used for the body structural parts such as the center pillar rain hose, front roof rail, and side roof rail, thanks to the development of a spot welding method which suits this material. The 1.2 GPa Ultra High Tensile Strength Steel with High Formability will be applied to post-2013 production vehicles, and we are targeting a weight reduction of approximately 15kg. Overcoming the most challenging of all obstacles in order to create cars able to protect people and coexist with earth’s environment— this is “Nissan of Technology”.